Nebulizing apparatus



June 24, 1958 J. w. DORSAK ETAL 2,840,417

NEBULIZINGAPPARATUS Filed Feb. 12, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHNW. RSAK' BY THOMAS F. N DENBERG June 24, 1958 v J, w. DORSAK ETAL2,840,417

NEBULIZING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 12, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v @r- I w '1INVENTOR.

JOHN w. DORSAK THOMAS E VAN DENBERG 1 BY v I ogimomsfi o o I THEIR ATTOEYS 2,340,417 NEBULIzING APPARATUS John W. Dorsak, Lyndhurst, and ThomasF. Van Denherg, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignors to The Gordon Armstrong"Company, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, at corporation of Ohio ApplicationFebruary 12, 1957, Serial No. 639,662

4 Claims. 01. 299-86) The present invention relates to a nebulizingapparatus and, more particularly, to improvements in a nebulizer forintroducing a fine liquid mist or spray into a gas being admitted to anincubator holding an infant;

Nebulizing means has been previously used for admixing a water spraywith oxygen as it flows into an incubator, but none to our knowledge hasthe advantages of the present nebulizer. It is possible with thenebulizer of this invention to elfect a separation between the finer orlighter globules or particles "and the'heavier particles of thenebulized mist, so that only the finer globules are entrained in theoxygen or other gas passing to the incubator. Additionally, the oxygenmaybe diluted with another gas in order that the amount of oxygenultimately reaching the incubator may be varied.

The present nebulizing apparatus has simplified construction, the entirenebulizing mechanism bein carried on or forming part of a head assemblywhich thereby facilitates a quick assembly and disassembly of the entirenebulizing apparatus. Our nebulizing apparatus also has a safetyprovision to insure a continuous liquid supply for the nebulizing means,the failure of which might otherwise result in possible serious harm toan'infant in the incubator. I The present nebulizer does not requirerecirculation of the atmosphere of the incubator in order to obtain adesired composition of oxygen and/ or water in theatmosph'ere. Further,the present nebulizer is adapted for secure, non-rotatable attachment toan incubator. g t

In one form, for example, our nebulizing apparatus includes a cup-shapedcontainer having a detachable, nebulizing head assembly. The headassembly has an aspirating nozzle through which oxygen or another gas isdischarged into the container. The action of the nozzle attracts aliquid from a reservoir in the container through a plurality of conduitsto the nozzle toprovide a nebulized or atomized spray. The sameactionmay also inducea flow of air or other gas through a regulated opening inthe head assembly to dilute the oxygen in the container as desired; Inany event, the discharge of the nozzle impinges against a curvedbaffleto scatter the globules or particles of the nebulized mist throughoutthe container; The finer globules pass through 'an outlet :in thenebulizer head assembly, and the heavier particles settle in thecontainer to mix with the supply liquid in the reservoir.

ired States Patent The principal object of the present invention is toon a head assembly which is adapted toseat in an openended container ofgenerally cup-shaped construction. 3

Other objects and advantages of the invention are apparent from thefollowing description which is directed to one embodiment of theinvention and limit the claims. 7

On the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present nebulizing apparatusattached to an incubator;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the nebulizing apparatus ofFigure l; g i V Figure 3 is a section of Figure 2. on the line 3-3;Figure 4 is a section of Figure 3 on the line 4-4;

Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of a plate cover of the headassembly and show a regulator in difierent positions in order to varythe admission of a diluting gas to the nebulizer;

Figure 7 is a section of Figure3 on the line 7--7; Figure 8 is aperspective view in an atomizer nozzle; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the nebulizing apparatus secured toanother type of incubator.

Referring to the drawings, the nebulizing apparatus generally indicatedat 10 may be secured to any type of incubator, such as the incubator 11in Figure l or the knurled bolts 17 which bear against the sides of thei container 14 and hold the head 13 and container 14 together. 'A raisedportion 18 on the head assembly defines an outlet or exit 19 whichpreferably communicates with a pair of outlet openings 20 (Figure 7).The head assembly 13 also has a generally cylindrical recess 21 providedwith a circular opening 22.which leads into the container 14. A wire 23extendin gthrough a rubber ball 24 has its ends turned and embedded in acircumferential rim 25 about the opening 22.

A plate 26 covers the recess 21 and carries atomizing means generallyindicated at 27 and a regulator 28' for controlling the admission of asecond gas. The atomizing means 27 includes a tubular piece 29 whichpasses through an opening 30 in the plate 26 up to an enlarged threadedportion 29a. Rigid tubes 31 are bent to extend one leg through the sidesof the tubular piece 29, to which the leg may be soldered, so that thebore of the piece 29 is reached as shown in Figure 4. Just above theentry of the tubes 31 in thebore of the nozzle or tubular piece 29,there is a round torus-shaped rubber seal or O ring 55 which restswithin a suitable circumferential groove in the tube 34. This ringsealsthe annular area between the nozzle 29 and the tube 34 against leaks inan upward direction as viewed in Figure 3. Any serious leak'of gas atthis upper end of the tubular piece 29 would affect the aspiratingaction and the proper suction and supply of the liquid to be nebulized.Since coupling nut 37 and flange 36a on the coupling 36 together withthe threaded portion 29a do not usually form an airtight seal and as thebore of the nozzle 29 connects directly with this joint,

omission, of the 0 ring seal may adversely atfect the V aspiration ofany liquid through the tubes 33 and 31 to the atomizing apparatus. 7

Flexible tubes 33 extend through openings 32 in the recess 21 onopposite sides of the main circular opening. 1 22 to fit over. the endsof the other legs of the rigid tubes 31. This allows removal of theplate 26 fromthe casting without making it necessary to disconnectthetwo Patented June'2 4,

is not intended to a of a tube and tip-used 4 t be hich. an spira io sin4: ha e fi ed as-bg soldering- (Figure 8 fits concentrically within,

he ubu ar r e el h l a a li ht pacing: etween th Walls ot the tube 34and, tubular-piece 29 for the flow .of

a, liquid aspirated;tothe atomizing means through the.

tubes 33 and 31. The tube 34 and a concentric bushing '35 are solderedto each other and to 3 coupling 36. A couplingnut; 3 7 abuts againstaflange 36a on the coupling 36 and has threads to engage, the, threadedportion 29a to hold the parts inassstmbly. Similar1y,1'a threaded elbow.38 connects at one end to an internally threaded hereof the coupling 36;andis internally threaded itself at the other end-to receive a hoseconnector 3Jover which a flexible hose 40 fits;

Theresulator 28. includes a metal strip 41 folded about and riveted to aplastic=spacer block 42. A pivot .pin 43 passes between the bight of thefolded strip 41'and the blockj42. The ends, of-the pin 43 are solderedor otherw ld to the plate 26'adjacent anopening or-inlet in Figure3,tso.that at least some air is always admitted. The, plate has a pairof openings to pass a pair or knurled thumb scr'eivs41 which screw intothreaded opcnings inboss portions. 46 in the recess 21 and thereby holdthe. 9161026. to the head assembly 13. The thumb screws 47 areheld tothe plate 26 by retaining rings to prevent the thumb screws. frombecomingjlost.

In practice, an adaptor bracket secures the nebulizing apparatus to anincubator as illustrated in Figures 1 and 9.

In each case, the bracket has an upper plate portion 48 in. which two.tubes 49 are fixed (Figure 3), a depending skirt portion 50, and two;forked legs 51;which extend from the skirt portion'to support thecontainer 14 along its .bottom: A knurled lock screw 52 passes through anebulizing apparatus're'latively to an incubator.

A gas such as oxygen passes through the flexible hose and the describedcoupling parts, through the tube 34, and then outthe lower tip of thetubular piece 29. In accordance with known principles, the rarifiedatmosphere between the walls of the tubular piece 29 and the tube 34causes a liquid 53such as water to rise from a reservoirin the container14 through the tubes 33 and 31 and to pass concurrently with thedirection of the {low ofoxygen around the tube 34 and out the lower tipof .the tubular piece*29 as an atomized mist. The discharge of theatomizing'me'ans strikes the convexly curved surface of the baflle ball24 which has theefiect of nebulizing 26 by locating the tubular piece ornozzle 29 in the opening 22 of the head assembly 13. This action is thusa secondary aspiration created by the discharge from the tubular piece29 through the opening 22. The amount of aspiration is controlled mainlyby the location of the convexly curved surface of the ball 24 withreference to the opening 22 and the discharging nozzle or tubular piece29. Within limits aspiration efliciency may be increased by moving theball 24 closer to the openthreaded. opening in the. raised portion 18 ofthe-head assembly .to bear against the tubes 49 (Figure 7) and therebysecure the parts to eachjothcr. The use of the two tubes 49 preventsturning or other movement'of the ay b ta 0 Pe e the regulator28may bemarked to show this value when ing 22 and nozzle 29. The variation atthis point is critical. Aspirating etficiency may also be increasedwithin limits by reducing the opening 22 or opening 44 or by changingthe location of the nozzle 29 with respect to the opening 22. Variationsat these points are not critical as a large change, is required toproduce a very small change in aspirating efficiency. It is thissecondary aspiration which is used and controlled to produce a properdilution of the gas-mist mixture with a second gas. The apparatus isdesigned so that the dilution is within controllable limits, forexample, a predetermined minimum ofjoxy gen inthe mist passed to theincubator One side of the plate 41 of the regulator is turned back asillustrated in Figure 6. For certain emergenci es, however, it isnecessary greatly to increase the. oxygen content. In the presentapparatus, the regulator 28 ismerely flipped about the pin 43 to atleast partially cover the opening 44 so that the admission of thediluting gas. is decreased. The strip 41 may be marked with suitableindicia to indicate this position of, Operation as illustrated in Figure5. In each case the efficiency ofthe present nebulizing apparatus issuch. that a single one-pass flow of oxygen through the nebulizerachieves the concentration of water and oxygen desired in the admixturewhich passes to the incubator. It is, therefore, not necessary torecirculate the atmosphere of theineubator to. obtain desiredconcentrations.

If at anytime a. tube 33 conducting water to the nebuliz'ing meansbecomes plugged, no emergency is created. in the. present nebulizersince the remaining tube 23is of a sulficient capacity to provide enoughliquid to .insure a safe; continued supply of a nebulized mist forBetween periods of use, the nebulizer is elements are on thehead-assembly 13, and the apparatus T quickly reassembled for furtheruse.

The apparatus described herein is susceptible ofconsiderable variationwithout departing from the spirit of ourcinvention, and' therefore theinvention is claimed broadly. asindicated by the appended claims.

and scattering the globules or particles thrcughout' the container14,-above the liquid level andbelow the outlet 19 The heavy" particlesgravitate or settlejback to. the.

, liquid 53; tobe-renebulized, while thefincr or lighterparticlespasswith the oxygen throughthe outlets 19 and 20 into anincubator. Placing the, baiilc 2r-lbelow the outlet 19 improves thenebulizirig and the degree of separation between the lighter and heavierparticles. 1

Duringthis time, theopening 44 may be uncovered,

i that is, the regulator-"28 may occupy the position shown in Figure 6.Accordingly; a second gas such as airmay be-induced into thecontainerz14 bythe described fiow of oxygen so that the oxygen becomesdiluted' within the container. 1 When a mixture of gas and atomized mistHavingZthus described our invention, what we claim open end of thecup-shaped receptacle, said head having ariloutlet opening an aspiratingnozzle carried by the head assembly. pointed into the receptacle andhaving a passage for the travel of afirst gas therethrough, means toconduct liquid from said reservoir to the aspirating nozzle undert heaction of said travel of the gas to discharge intotlie receptacle anebulized stream of globules of the liquid in the gas, ar inlet openingprovided in the remoyable headassembly to admita second gas induced intothfe receptacle by the-action of the nozzle to dilute the first gas inthe receptacle, and a battle supported by said headassembly below thenozzle and in the path of said stream, said jbaifie having a sphericalsurface-against which the streamimpinges to distribute the nebulizedglobules throu'ghout'thecontainer and allow the finer V 5 globules topass together with said first and second gases through the outletopening of the head and to allow the heavier globules to gravitate backto the liquid reservoir to be renebulized.

2. Nebulizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means toconduct liquid from the reservoir to the aspirating nozzle includes aplurality of tubes so that clogging of one tube does not interfere withthe continuous action of the nebulizer.

3. Nebulizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further including means toregulate the size of said inlet opening to vary the amount of dilutionof the first gas by the second gas.

4. Nebulizing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further including means toregulate the size of said inlet opening comprising a cover mounted onthe head assembly for pivoting about an axis adjacent said inlet openingso that the cover may expose the entire inlet opening or at leastpartially overlie said opening to vary the amount of dilution of thefirst gas by the second gas.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,274,669 Curry Mar. 3, 1942 2,709,577 Pohndorf et al May 31, 19552,720,387 Dorsak Oct. 11, 1955

